by Julia Ryskamp, Duke Engage Intern Originally published at Duke Engage Blog; reprinted with permission. Now that my DukeEngage experience has come to an end, I’ve been able to reflect on everything I’ve learned and accomplished during my summer in Seattle and at Amara. The chance to live in and explore a new city was an experience like no other—productive, enriching, and fun—and the opportunity to

A popular book from this donation has been My Princess Boy, by local author Cheryl Kilodavis, about a boy who loves to wear pink, glitter and tiaras. Recently, one of our Sanctuary guests eagerly listened to this story over and over, sharing how often he had dressed up like a princess too.

We are so proud to see Amara’s Post-Adoption work published in the Journal of Child and Family Social Work! The Inclusive Family Support Model (IFSM) was conceived and authored by our director of Post-Adoption Services, Angela Tucker and Dr. JaeRan Kim of the University of Washington Tacoma.

"We have an opportunity and an obligation to take a new approach to this work. To truly lead with racial equity, we must allow time and space to fully hear from the community about their vision for the property..."

When children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care, it is traumatic and uncertain. In our newest video, we explore what one child's experience could be like during those first few days and how Amara seeks to offer support, nurturing, and care to children when they first enter foster care.

Imagine sitting with a child who is asking you, “When will I see my mommy again?” and having to answer, “I don’t know.” It’s important for parents and children to stay connected since the goal of foster care is to safely reunite children with their families.

"I feel saddened by the fact that I likely know more about an adoptee’s birth family and early life than they do. This is because most adoptions throughout the twentieth century were closed... [and] due to sealed record laws in the United States, adoptees are not allowed access to their files,..."